wow! i just read the Wizard of Oz, the original book by L. Frank Baum, & it was really good. i'm kind of in a phase, having also read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland not too long ago, & have greatly enjoyed those stories & the imaginations that created them. Oz is a pretty quick read, i went cover to cover in about 2-3 hours, & i was shocked @ how little of the actual original story is included in the movie/ musical that we all know & love. pretty much everything that happened in the movie happened in the book, but that only accounts for maybe a third of the actual story. with the kind of capabilities we have for special effects these days, it would make for a great [non-musical i would hope] re-interpretation, making use of more of the original imagery, characters, plot, & storyline. be on the lookout in a couple years for a creepy tim burton re-make that will somehow utilize johnny depp [as the scarecrow?], christina ricci as dorothy, etc etc. & you should definitely read the book... but you don't have to take my word for it...